Improvement in cotton and hay-presses



DAVID KNOWLES, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Patent No. 109,424, dated November 22, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN COTTON AND HAV-PRESSES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making pari: of the same.

To all whom it may concern,.- p

Be it known that I, DAVID Knownns, of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania,

have linvented a new and useful Improvement in Presses for Daling Cot-ton, Hay, &c.; audI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same,refercnce being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked.

The object of my invention is to construct a press for cot-tou or other librous products requiring compression or baling by combining certain `well-known devices so as to render it simple, durable, and effectual in operation. y Y

Figure 1 is aperspcctive view ot'a` press citibodying my improvements.

Figure 2 is a vertical section, through a portion of the same.

' Figure 3 is a plan view of the chain'and pulleys used in elevating the platen.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invcntion,1 will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

Thercceptacle for confining the cotton or other fibrous products while under compression, consists of along rectangular-shaped box A, made with au opening in the front side, and sccurely'beld to'gether by means of theframes B and B', one of which is placed at t-hc lower end of the box and the other at a suitable distance above it. p

'lhc said boxis elevated by resting the frame'B on two holsters, U and C', through which is passed four vertical rods, D, D, D", and D. These rods extend up and pass through the side piece-s of thc frames and through the hcad-block .lil ofthe box, and hear on their upperends suitable nuts for securing thc block to them.

In order to give additional strength to the. block, two cross-pieces, F and Il", are placed on it, through which the `rods also extend.

rIhe diameter of the rods'hctwecn they upper surface of the frame Bl and the lower side ofthe cross-pieces F and ll" are increased by incasing them in Atubes of .considerable thickness, or hy increasing this part of the rod itself, in order to give additional stillness-and cause them to act as columns for supporting the headbloc'k.

The sides and ends of the pressbox above the frame B1 are made detachable in 'order-to open so as to allow the bale to be discharged from either end of the platen. This is accomplished by making the end pieces G and G1, andthe side pieces Gr2 and G, in separate parts;v The end pieces are provided on their vertical edges with projections, which extend around ashort distance on eacbside of the boxand `are flush with it; The space remaining between these projections ou each side of the box 'are filled up with the side pieces G2 and G3, so that when in place they form ,a continuous box, as shown in fig. 2 of the drawing.

lhe side and end pieces are strengthened by bat-4 tens secured across them, and the extremities of the plauking of the box, which are secured to the inside of the frame B1, are brought down a short distance.

below the upper surface of it, so as to form aspace into which the lower ends of the side and end pieces are inserted, while their upper ends are retained in a rabhet made ou the lower side of the headblock E.

. The holsters O and Cl are rested ou a bed or platform, H, and are secured to it by passing the rods D, D, D2, and D, through, and allowing their heads to bear against the under side ofthe bed or platform; the holsters are also brought as close together as pos#4 sible, so as to economize space, and at the same time to give great strength and compactness to the apparatus.

- By arranging the rods at a cert-ain distance from the center of compression their entire strength is concentrated at the points where it is most needed to resist the strain on the press. p

The central portion of the said holsters arecut down a proper distance in order to allow the platen to tit in the recesses and thus to be brought as close as possible to the bed H, thus giving a larger space above the platen for the reception of loose material previous to compressing it.

In the center of the compression-box A is placed a vertical screw-shaft1-,on the upper end of which is attached a platen, K, which fits loosely in the box and compresses the/cotton or other material; its surface,

. and also that of the. underside of theheadlblock E,

are scored across for the reception of the bauds for securing the bale.4

The upper end of the shaft is attached to theplaten by means of a socket-plate, L, which allows the shaft to revolve independent of it. This end of the shaft is also supplied with a pinT M, which is inserted in an opening made in the shaft so as to prevent its turning when power is applied, and is withdrawn to allow-the shaft to descend by its own gravity when it is desired to lower the platen. l

The shaft'I passes through a chain-pulley, N, in the. hub of which is cut a female screw-thread to suit -the thread on the shaft; the hub of the said pulley rests and turns in an annular recess formed in the circular plate O, which is secured to the bed H of the apparatus, so as to relieve the strain of the endless strain P from the shaft, iiga2.

' At a suitable distance from the compression-box is placed a frame, R, which supports an upright shaft, Q, and ou which is placed'loosely two chain-pulleys` an esta N and N2, of dierent diameters. Between the said pulleys, and made so as to slide up and down on the shaft, is a clutch, S, provided with a forked lever, T, for operating it.

The upper and lower flanges ofthe clutch aremade with suitable openings, which engage alternatively with pins o1' studs, U, U1, U2, aud U, secured on the upper and lower surfaces of the pulleys N1 andN'l.

Immediately in front of the framelt is a pulley, N, pivoted at a proper inclination to a sliding plate, XV, which'rests and is adjusted by a set-screw on a bevel piece, X, secured`to the bed of the machine.

The chain P, iig. 3, is passed around the large pulley Nz, and one end of it is carried up and around the the pulley N1, immediately above, by passing' itover ,the inclined pulley N3. This end is then continued ont and passed around the pulley Non the shaft l,

' and is joined to the opposite end previously passed around the pulley N2.

The pulley N3 can be adjusted so as to give the proper tension to the chain, andv the chain, when secured together at the ends, forms an endless connecnection. p

Tile cotton is inserted in the box through a manhole made in the head-block E, and the bale, after being compressed and tied up', is discharged from either end of the platen.

In arranging the chain and 'pulleys in the manner above described a variable velocity is given to the 'shaft I and the platen K; by engaging ordiseiigaging the clutch S with or from the pulleys Nl or Yz of dit'- ferent diameters, as, for instance, at the commencement of the operation, a quick speed is required, as the resistance is very small, scarcely perceptible, and gradually increases as the density ot' the cotton increases under the 'action of the press, at which time a slower speedis necessary.

The side and end pieces G, G1, G2, and G3 lare placed in position by rst inserting their lower ends in the space formed for the purpose on the inside. of the frame B, after which they are slightly raised vertically by insertingr a wedge or block under the edge of the lower battens, which forces their upper ends into the rabbet on the under side of the head-block and when it is desired to open the press for the discharge ot' the bale, the wedges or blocks are withdrawn, andauy suitable device employed to force the pieces dowuward, when the lateral pressure on the bale will cause them to be forced outward.

The front side ofthe press-box need not necessarily be made open, as described iu the foregoing part ot' this description, the object in this case being merely to show the interior arrangement.

Motion is given te the apparatus through power applied to the end ot' the lever T, `which rotates the shaft (g and pulley N1 and N, and communicates it fromthem by means ot' theendless chain P to the vertical shaft carrying the platen.

Having thus described my invention, its construction and operation,

lVhat-I claim, .and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent, is- 'l .l. The construetiomaml arrangement of theI box A, frames B and Bl, holsters C and C', rods D, D, 1);, and D, head-block E, cross-pieces F and F1, side and end pieces G, G, G2, and G3, substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the chain-pulleys N, N1, N2, and N", `circular plate O, endless chain P, shaft Q, clutch S, lever '.l, pins or studs U, Ul, U2, and U3, and sliding plate W,-constructed and arranged substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence ot'.t\vo subscribing witnesses.

' DAVID KNOWLES.

Witnesses:

Istmo R. OAKroRD, Guo. E. NICHOLS. 

